Nokia phone maker HMD Global CEO Arto Nummela steps down

Florian Seiche, HMD Global's president, has been appointed to the additional role of acting CEOETtech | Updated: July 20, 2017, 01:43 IST

"We believe that India, also the second-largest smartphone market in the world, will be the biggest market for us in the initial phase."

HMD Global, the Finnish company that owns the rights to use Nokia's brand on mobile phones and tablets, has said Chief Executive Arto Nummela is leaving the company with immediate effect.

An HMD spokesman said Nummela's departure was a personal matter between him and the company's board of directors, but declined to elaborate. Florian Seiche, HMD Global's president, has been appointed to the additional role of acting CEO, the company said.

In a statement announcing the management changes, Sam Chin, HMD Global's chairman of the Board, said: "On behalf of the whole Board, I thank Arto for his contribution and wish him well in his future endeavours."

Nummela had moved to HMD Global when the company along with Foxconn acquired Microsoft's feature phone business for $350 million in May last year. Prior to this, he was serving as the head of Microsoft's Mobile Devices business for Greater Asia, Middle East and Africa as well as Microsoft's global feature phones business.

In earlier interactions with ET, Nummela had pegged India to be one of the key markets for the company's future growth and success.

HMD Global is owned by Smart Connect LP, a private equity fund managed by Jean-Francois Baril, a long-serving former senior vice president of Nokia. Earlier this year, HMD made a splash by reviving its classic 3310 feature handset in new brightly coloured versions. It also offers a variety of Nokia feature phones aimed at emerging markets and has begun introducing new Android smartphones.